1
as in enacting
to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action
the city council promises to lay down new ordinances that will force dog walkers to clean up after their animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in declaring
to state clearly and strongly
at the risk of their popularity, the parents laid down the rules for the party and wouldn't accept any arguments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in specifying
to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly
the supervisor laid down the procedure for a complaint of sexual harassment
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in relinquishing
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
commanded the surrounded troops to lay down their weapons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laying down
Verb
-
Essentially, the second apron is acting as a hard cap, which is undeniably what the NBA envisioned when enacting these rules.
-
Behind each charge was a person enacting the king’s design.
Verb
-
The three main types of non-compliance in labeling included fiber percentages not matching the actual material makeup, items containing different or cheaper fibers than those listed on the label, or simply incorrectly declaring or naming fibers on labeling.
-
Individuals who may have spent years defining themselves through crime are publicly declaring a new direction in their lives.
Verb
-
On June 11, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department released a statement specifying that Mexican authorities had not contacted them about the tip or the search efforts, but saying the investigation was still ongoing.
-
Its Senate sponsor, Chicago Democrat Ram Villivalam, acknowledged more work was needed without specifying what stalled the bill.
Verb
-
Iran also demanded in early April the right to collect tolls as a precondition for relinquishing its chokehold on the strait.
-
In 2023, ten years after relinquishing the kneeling figures, the Met gave a further 14 items from its collection back to Cambodia.
Verb
-
By contrast, the newcomers spoke their own languages, perhaps with a passing knowledge of Latin too.
-
Eventually, the Custer statue became a gathering place for public protests and demonstrations in Monroe on a range of topics, given the visibility from passing traffic and spillover space in the parking lot.
Verb
-
Legal expert Richard Schoenstein said by asserting the psychiatric defense, Mangione would effectively admit to killing Thompson with mitigating circumstances.
-
The pair defended the measure’s stricter voting thresholds as a necessary check on government power, asserting that taxpayers deserve the ultimate say at the ballot box before taking on new financial burdens.
Verb
-
Long before the disputes that would ultimately lead to the colonies seeking their independence from England, racial slavery had become a defining feature of Virginia’s economic and social structure.
-
That’s the gist of a 181-page report from a team of University of California researchers that was charged with defining the factors to be resolved before such a system could be implemented.
Verb
-
Pentagon officials, military contractors and lawmakers often claim that the weapons acquisition process is overregulated, rendering it too rigid and slow to keep pace with technological innovation and pacing threats.
-
The California Highway Patrol officer radioed for assistance while rendering medical aid to the couple.
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Laying down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laying%20down. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
